The International Federation of soFTTisse Association (FISA)

What The International Federation of soFTTisse Association (FISA) does

FISA Foundation is a private nonprofit grantmaking foundation headquartered at 535 Smithfield Street, Suite 710, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 1911 by graduates of exclusive girls schools in the Pittsburgh area. Originally focused on women and girls, the foundation expanded its mission in 2011 (its centennial) to include people with disabilities, and today champions equity, justice, safety, and inclusion for women, girls, and people with disabilities across a defined ten-county southwestern Pennsylvania region (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland). The foundation operates with a racial-justice lens and prioritizes organizations led by or serving people with multiple marginalized identities, including Black women and girls with disabilities and immigrant or refugee women.

Name

The International Federation of soFTTisse Association (FISA)

Legal name

FISA Foundation

Website

https://fisafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FISA Foundation is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit grantmaking foundation that funds nonprofits advancing equity, safety, and inclusion for women, girls, and people with disabilities across southwestern Pennsylvania's ten-county region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Nonprofit foundation
• Disability inclusion grants
• Social equity advocacy
• Community grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FISA Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking foundation that awards grants to 501(c)(3) organizations serving women, girls, and people with disabilities in the ten-county southwestern Pennsylvania region. The foundation operates strategic initiatives (Access to Healthcare, Race + Disability, Disability Inclusion & Access), commissions research reports, and publishes accessibility resources and toolkits. Grants are provided for general operating support, ongoing programs, new projects, capacity building, and advocacy.

Product overview

FISA Foundation is a nonprofit grantmaking organization focused on equity, justice, safety, and inclusion for women, girls, and people with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania. The organization operates several strategic initiatives including the Access to Healthcare Initiative, Race + Disability Program, and the Disability Inclusion & Access Initiative (a joint effort with The Heinz Endowments). FISA offers grant programs supporting organizations that advance its mission, produces commissioned research reports on disability and equity issues, and provides accessibility resources and toolkits including the Reasonable Accommodations Policy Toolkit. The foundation focuses on improving health and well-being, preventing domestic and sexual violence, and removing societal barriers for its target populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Programs Grant programs that provide funding for general operating support, ongoing programs and projects, new and innovative projects, capacity building initiatives, and advocacy focused on health, safety, and equity for women, girls, and people with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania. Letters of inquiry are accepted on an ongoing basis and grants are awarded three times per year.
• Access to Healthcare Initiative A foundation initiative focused on improving health and well-being for people with disabilities, including access to healthcare and dental care, addressing bias among healthcare professionals, and supporting Black people and other people of color with disabilities.
• Race + Disability Program A program addressing the intersection of race and disability, supporting organizations working at this intersection and providing resources for inclusive workplaces and communities.
• Disability Inclusion & Access Initiative A joint initiative with The Heinz Endowments supporting nonprofits, foundations, and community organizations to be more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities through convenings, webinars, resources, and a small grants program.
• Reasonable Accommodations Policy Toolkit A policy toolkit providing guidance on reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities in various workplace and organizational settings.
• Commissioned Reports Research reports commissioned by FISA Foundation, including 'A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities,' 'Men And #MeToo,' and 'Data Snapshot: Inequities Affecting Black Girls in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.'

Quantifiable outcome

• FISA Foundation awarded $575,000 in grants to 11 organizations in October 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Heinz EndowmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative called Disability Inclusion & Access: Moving Forward, which supports nonprofits, foundations, and community organizations to be more welcoming and inclusive of people with disabilities. Includes technical assistance, webinars, online resource library, and small grants program. Both foundations have signed the Ford Foundation's Disability Inclusion Pledge.
• The Pittsburgh FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering to more intentionally address the intersection of race and disability through collaborative initiatives and grantmaking programs.
• Bender Consulting ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced a series of accessibility 'how-to' videos covering disability 101, website accessibility, document accessibility, social media accessibility, event accessibility, and virtual accessibility. Videos are commissioned and produced to build knowledge and skills in producing accessible communications and events.
• Ford FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth FISA Foundation and The Heinz Endowments have signed the Ford Foundation's Disability Inclusion Pledge for philanthropic organizations, committing to better address disabilities in their work.
• University of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned researchers from the University of Pittsburgh to write 'A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities' report documenting barriers to healthcare that people with disabilities encounter.
• Disability Leadership (Disability Lead)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFISA Foundation invested in bringing Disability Lead to southwestern Pennsylvania to expand disability leadership in the region.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: A major national foundation advancing racial equity, child welfare, and community-based change. Comparable to FISA's intersectional racial-justice orientation though with vastly greater resources.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest U.S. philanthropy focused on health and health equity. Comparable on FISA's Access to Healthcare Initiative and disability health access work, though at much larger scale.
• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations, with major programs on disability inclusion (Disability Inclusion Pledge that FISA has signed), racial equity, and gender justice. Operates as a broad incumbent with overlapping priorities.

Regional players

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: A national foundation focused on children and families, with deep ties to Pittsburgh through its founding family. Comparable to FISA on child welfare, disability, and racial equity grantmaking in the region.
• Hillman Family Foundations: Pittsburgh-based family foundations supporting civic, social, and economic opportunity in the region. Comparable as another southwestern Pennsylvania private grantmaker operating in overlapping cause areas.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Fund: A grantmaker supporting the disability rights movement globally, particularly in the Global South. Highly comparable to FISA on the disability-focused grantmaking and intersectional lens.
• NoVo Foundation: A national private foundation with explicit focus on advancing gender equity and supporting children and youth, including disability inclusion. Highly comparable on FISA's combined gender + disability lens.
• The Pittsburgh Foundation: A regional community foundation serving southwestern Pennsylvania with broad grantmaking priorities. Partnered with FISA on race and disability initiatives and serves a similar geographic and donor base.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: A national women's foundation funding gender equity, economic justice, and movements led by women and girls of color. Most comparable to FISA on the women-and-girls portion of its mission.
• The Heinz Endowments: A major Pittsburgh-based private foundation focused on equity, sustainability, and regional quality of life. Heinz is FISA's most direct operational peer and co-funder of the Disability Inclusion & Access initiative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fisa-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The International Federation of soFTTisse Association (FISA)